Dual listener positions for mixed reality

ABSTRACT

A method of presenting audio comprises: identifying a first ear listener position and a second ear listener position in a mixed reality environment; identifying a first virtual sound source in the mixed reality environment; identifying a first object in the mixed reality environment; determining a first audio signal in the mixed reality environment, wherein the first audio signal originates at the first virtual sound source and intersects the first ear listener position; determining a second audio signal in the mixed reality environment, wherein the second audio signal originates at the first virtual sound source, intersects the first object, and intersects the second ear listener position; determining a third audio signal based on the second audio signal and the first object; presenting, to a first ear of a user, the first audio signal; and presenting, to a second ear of the user, the third audio signal.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371of International Application No. PCT/US2019/18369, filed internationallyon Feb. 15, 2019, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/631,422, filed Feb. 15, 2018, which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/631,422, filed Feb. 15, 2018, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

FIELD

This disclosure relates in general to systems and methods for presentingaudio signals, and in particular to systems and methods for presentingstereo audio signals to a user of a mixed reality system.

BACKGROUND

Virtual environments are ubiquitous in computing environments, findinguse in video games (in which a virtual environment may represent a gameworld); maps (in which a virtual environment may represent terrain to benavigated); simulations (in which a virtual environment may simulate areal environment); digital storytelling (in which virtual characters mayinteract with each other in a virtual environment); and many otherapplications. Modern computer users are generally comfortableperceiving, and interacting with, virtual environments. However, users'experiences with virtual environments can be limited by the technologyfor presenting virtual environments. For example, conventional displays(e.g., 2D display screens) and audio systems (e.g., fixed speakers) maybe unable to realize a virtual environment in ways that create acompelling, realistic, and immersive experience.

Virtual reality (“VR”), augmented reality (“AR”), mixed reality (“MR”),and related technologies (collectively, “XR”) share an ability topresent, to a user of an XR system, sensory information corresponding toa virtual environment represented by data in a computer system. Thisdisclosure contemplates a distinction between VR, AR, and MR systems(although some systems may be categorized as VR in one aspect (e.g., avisual aspect), and simultaneously categorized as AR or MR in anotheraspect (e.g., an audio aspect)). As used herein, VR systems present avirtual environment that replaces a user's real environment in at leastone aspect; for example, a VR system could present the user with a viewof the virtual environment while simultaneously obscuring his or herview of the real environment, such as with a light-blocking head-mounteddisplay. Similarly, a VR system could present the user with audiocorresponding to the virtual environment, while simultaneously blocking(attenuating) audio from the real environment.

VR systems may experience various drawbacks that result from replacing auser's real environment with a virtual environment. One drawback is afeeling of motion sickness that can arise when a user's field of view ina virtual environment no longer corresponds to the state of his or herinner ear, which detects one's balance and orientation in the realenvironment (not a virtual environment). Similarly, users may experiencedisorientation in VR environments where their own bodies and limbs(views of which users rely on to feel “grounded” in the realenvironment) are not directly visible. Another drawback is thecomputational burden (e.g., storage, processing power) placed on VRsystems which must present a full 3D virtual environment, particularlyin real-time applications that seek to immerse the user in the virtualenvironment. Similarly, such environments may need to reach a very highstandard of realism to be considered immersive, as users tend to besensitive to even minor imperfections in virtual environments—any ofwhich can destroy a user's sense of immersion in the virtualenvironment. Further, another drawback of VR systems is that suchapplications of systems cannot take advantage of the wide range ofsensory data in the real environment, such as the various sights andsounds that one experiences in the real world. A related drawback isthat VR systems may struggle to create shared environments in whichmultiple users can interact, as users that share a physical space in thereal environment may not be able to directly see or interact with eachother in a virtual environment.

As used herein, AR systems present a virtual environment that overlapsor overlays the real environment in at least one aspect. For example, anAR system could present the user with a view of a virtual environmentoverlaid on the user's view of the real environment, such as with atransmissive head-mounted display that presents a displayed image whileallowing light to pass through the display into the user's eye.Similarly, an AR system could present the user with audio correspondingto the virtual environment, while simultaneously mixing in audio fromthe real environment. Similarly, as used herein, MR systems present avirtual environment that overlaps or overlays the real environment in atleast one aspect, as do AR systems, and may additionally allow that avirtual environment in an MR system may interact with the realenvironment in at least one aspect. For example, a virtual character ina virtual environment may toggle a light switch in the real environment,causing a corresponding light bulb in the real environment to turn on oroff. As another example, the virtual character may react (such as with afacial expression) to audio signals in the real environment. Bymaintaining presentation of the real environment, AR and MR systems mayavoid some of the aforementioned drawbacks of VR systems; for instance,motion sickness in users is reduced because visual cues from the realenvironment (including users' own bodies) can remain visible, and suchsystems need not present a user with a fully realized 3D environment inorder to be immersive. Further, AR and MR systems can take advantage ofreal world sensory input (e.g., views and sounds of scenery, objects,and other users) to create new applications that augment that input.

XR systems may provide the user with various ways in which to interactwith a virtual environment; for example, XR systems may include varioussensors (e.g., cameras, microphones, etc.) for detecting a user'sposition and orientation, facial expressions, speech, and othercharacteristics; and present this information as input to the virtualenvironment. Some XR systems may incorporate a sensor-equipped inputdevice, such as a virtual “mallet,” and may be configured to detect aposition, orientation, or other characteristic of the input device.

XR systems can offer a uniquely heightened sense of immersion andrealism by combining virtual visual and audio cues with real sights andsounds. For example, it may be desirable to present audio cues to a userof an XR system in a way that mimics aspects, particularly subtleaspects, of our own sensory experiences. The present invention isdirected to presenting, to a user, stereo audio signals originating froma single sound source in a mixed reality environment, such that the useris able to identify a position and orientation of the sound source inthe mixed reality environment based on the differences in the signalsreceived by the user's left ear and right ear. By using audio cues toidentify the position and orientation of the sound source in the mixedreality environment, the user may experience a heightened awareness ofvirtual sounds originating from that position and orientation.Additionally, the user's sense of immersion in a mixed realityenvironment can be enhanced by presenting stereo audio that not onlycorresponds to direct audio signals, but that presents a fully immersivesoundscape generated using to a 3D propagation model.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Examples of the disclosure describe systems and methods for presentingaudio signals in a mixed reality environment. In one example, a methodcomprises the steps of identifying a first ear listener position in themixed reality environment; identifying a second ear listener position inthe mixed reality environment; identifying a first virtual sound sourcein the mixed reality environment; identifying a first object in themixed reality environment; determining a first audio signal in the mixedreality environment, wherein the first audio signal originates at thefirst virtual sound source and intersects the first ear listenerposition; determining a second audio signal in the mixed realityenvironment, wherein the second audio signal originates at the firstvirtual sound source, intersects the first object, and intersects thesecond ear listener position; determining a third audio signal based onthe second audio signal and the first object; presenting, via a firstspeaker to a first ear of a user, the first audio signal; andpresenting, via a second speaker to a second ear of the user, the thirdaudio signal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate an example mixed reality environment.

FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate components of an example mixed reality systemthat can be used to interact with a mixed reality environment.

FIG. 3A illustrates an example mixed reality handheld controller thatcan be used to provide input to a mixed reality environment.

FIG. 3B illustrates an example auxiliary unit that can be included in anexample mixed reality system.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example functional block diagram for an examplemixed reality system.

FIGS. 5A-5B illustrate an example mixed reality environment thatincludes a user, a virtual sound source, and an audio signal originatingfrom the virtual sound source.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example flow chart of a process for presentingstereo audio signals to a user of a mixed reality environment.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example functional block diagram of an exampleaugmented reality processing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of examples, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which it is shownby way of illustration specific examples that can be practiced. It is tobe understood that other examples can be used and structural changes canbe made without departing from the scope of the disclosed examples.

Mixed Reality Environment

Like all people, a user of a mixed reality system exists in a realenvironment—that is, a three-dimensional portion of the “real world,”and all of its contents, that are perceptible by the user. For example,a user perceives a real environment using one's ordinary humansenses—sight, sound, touch, taste, smell—and interacts with the realenvironment by moving one's own body in the real environment. Locationsin a real environment can be described as coordinates in a coordinatespace; for example, a coordinate can comprise latitude, longitude, andelevation with respect to sea level; distances in three orthogonaldimensions from a reference point; or other suitable values. Likewise, avector can describe a quantity having a direction and a magnitude in thecoordinate space.

A computing device can maintain, for example in a memory associated withthe device, a representation of a virtual environment. As used herein, avirtual environment is a computational representation of athree-dimensional space. A virtual environment can includerepresentations of any object, action, signal, parameter, coordinate,vector, or other characteristic associated with that space. In someexamples, circuitry (e.g., a processor) of a computing device canmaintain and update a state of a virtual environment; that is, aprocessor can determine at a first time t0, based on data associatedwith the virtual environment and/or input provided by a user, a state ofthe virtual environment at a second time t1. For instance, if an objectin the virtual environment is located at a first coordinate at time t0,and has certain programmed physical parameters (e.g., mass, coefficientof friction); and an input received from user indicates that a forceshould be applied to the object in a direction vector; the processor canapply laws of kinematics to determine a location of the object at timet1 using basic mechanics. The processor can use any suitable informationknown about the virtual environment, and/or any suitable input, todetermine a state of the virtual environment at a time t1. Inmaintaining and updating a state of a virtual environment, the processorcan execute any suitable software, including software relating to thecreation and deletion of virtual objects in the virtual environment;software (e.g., scripts) for defining behavior of virtual objects orcharacters in the virtual environment; software for defining thebehavior of signals (e.g., audio signals) in the virtual environment;software for creating and updating parameters associated with thevirtual environment; software for generating audio signals in thevirtual environment; software for handling input and output; softwarefor implementing network operations; software for applying asset data(e.g., animation data to move a virtual object over time); or many otherpossibilities.

Output devices, such as a display or a speaker, can present any or allaspects of a virtual environment to a user. For example, a virtualenvironment may include virtual objects (which may includerepresentations of inanimate objects; people; animals; lights; etc.)that may be presented to a user. A processor can determine a view of thevirtual environment (for example, corresponding to a “camera” with anorigin coordinate, a view axis, and a frustum); and render, to adisplay, a viewable scene of the virtual environment corresponding tothat view. Any suitable rendering technology may be used for thispurpose. In some examples, the viewable scene may include only somevirtual objects in the virtual environment, and exclude certain othervirtual objects. Similarly, a virtual environment may include audioaspects that may be presented to a user as one or more audio signals.For instance, a virtual object in the virtual environment may generate asound originating from a location coordinate of the object (e.g., avirtual character may speak or cause a sound effect); or the virtualenvironment may be associated with musical cues or ambient sounds thatmay or may not be associated with a particular location. A processor candetermine an audio signal corresponding to a “listener” coordinate—forinstance, an audio signal corresponding to a composite of sounds in thevirtual environment, and mixed and processed to simulate an audio signalthat would be heard by a listener at the listener coordinate—and presentthe audio signal to a user via one or more speakers.

Because a virtual environment exists only as a computational structure,a user cannot directly perceive a virtual environment using one'sordinary senses. Instead, a user can perceive a virtual environment onlyindirectly, as presented to the user, for example by a display,speakers, haptic output devices, etc. Similarly, a user cannot directlytouch, manipulate, or otherwise interact with a virtual environment; butcan provide input data, via input devices or sensors, to a processorthat can use the device or sensor data to update the virtualenvironment. For example, a camera sensor can provide optical dataindicating that a user is trying to move an object in a virtualenvironment, and a processor can use that data to cause the object torespond accordingly in the virtual environment.

A mixed reality system can present to the user, for example using atransmissive display and/or one or more speakers (which may, forexample, be incorporated into a wearable head device), a mixed realityenvironment (“MRE”) that combines aspects of a real environment and avirtual environment. In some embodiments, the one or more speakers maybe external to the wearable head device. As used herein, a MRE is asimultaneous representation of a real environment and a correspondingvirtual environment. In some examples, the corresponding real andvirtual environments share a single coordinate space; in some examples,a real coordinate space and a corresponding virtual coordinate space arerelated to each other by a transformation matrix (or other suitablerepresentation). Accordingly, a single coordinate (along with, in someexamples, a transformation matrix) can define a first location in thereal environment, and also a second, corresponding, location in thevirtual environment; and vice versa.

In a MRE, a virtual object (e.g., in a virtual environment associatedwith the MRE) can correspond to a real object (e.g., in a realenvironment associated with the MRE). For instance, if the realenvironment of a MRE comprises a real lamp post (a real object) at alocation coordinate, the virtual environment of the MRE may comprise avirtual lamp post (a virtual object) at a corresponding locationcoordinate. As used herein, the real object in combination with itscorresponding virtual object together constitute a “mixed realityobject.” It is not necessary for a virtual object to perfectly match oralign with a corresponding real object. In some examples, a virtualobject can be a simplified version of a corresponding real object. Forinstance, if a real environment includes a real lamp post, acorresponding virtual object may comprise a cylinder of roughly the sameheight and radius as the real lamp post (reflecting that lamp posts maybe roughly cylindrical in shape). Simplifying virtual objects in thismanner can allow computational efficiencies, and can simplifycalculations to be performed on such virtual objects. Further, in someexamples of a MRE, not all real objects in a real environment may beassociated with a corresponding virtual object. Likewise, in someexamples of a MRE, not all virtual objects in a virtual environment maybe associated with a corresponding real object. That is, some virtualobjects may solely in a virtual environment of a MRE, without anyreal-world counterpart.

In some examples, virtual objects may have characteristics that differ,sometimes drastically, from those of corresponding real objects. Forinstance, while a real environment in a MRE may comprise a green,two-armed cactus—a prickly inanimate object—a corresponding virtualobject in the MRE may have the characteristics of a green, two-armedvirtual character with human facial features and a surly demeanor. Inthis example, the virtual object resembles its corresponding real objectin certain characteristics (color, number of arms); but differs from thereal object in other characteristics (facial features, personality). Inthis way, virtual objects have the potential to represent real objectsin a creative, abstract, exaggerated, or fanciful manner; or to impartbehaviors (e.g., human personalities) to otherwise inanimate realobjects. In some examples, virtual objects may be purely fancifulcreations with no real-world counterpart (e.g., a virtual monster in avirtual environment, perhaps at a location corresponding to an emptyspace in a real environment).

Compared to VR systems, which present the user with a virtualenvironment while obscuring the real environment, a mixed reality systempresenting a MRE affords the advantage that the real environment remainsperceptible while the virtual environment is presented. Accordingly, theuser of the mixed reality system is able to use visual and audio cuesassociated with the real environment to experience and interact with thecorresponding virtual environment. As an example, while a user of VRsystems may struggle to perceive or interact with a virtual objectdisplayed in a virtual environment—because, as noted above, a usercannot directly perceive or interact with a virtual environment—a userof an MR system may find it intuitive and natural to interact with avirtual object by seeing, hearing, and touching a corresponding realobject in his or her own real environment. This level of interactivitycan heighten a user's feelings of immersion, connection, and engagementwith a virtual environment. Similarly, by simultaneously presenting areal environment and a virtual environment, mixed reality systems canreduce negative psychological feelings (e.g., cognitive dissonance) andnegative physical feelings (e.g., motion sickness) associated with VRsystems. Mixed reality systems further offer many possibilities forapplications that may augment or alter our experiences of the realworld.

FIG. 1A illustrates an example real environment 100 in which a user 110uses a mixed reality system 112. Mixed reality system 112 may comprise adisplay (e.g., a transmissive display) and one or more speakers, and oneor more sensors (e.g., a camera), for example as described below. Thereal environment 100 shown comprises a rectangular room 104A, in whichuser 110 is standing; and real objects 122A (a lamp), 124A (a table),126A (a sofa), and 128A (a painting). Room 104A further comprises alocation coordinate 106, which may be considered an origin of the realenvironment 100. As shown in FIG. 1A, an environment/world coordinatesystem 108 (comprising an x-axis 108X, a y-axis 108Y, and a z-axis 108Z)with its origin at point 106 (a world coordinate), can define acoordinate space for real environment 100. In some embodiments, theorigin point 106 of the environment/world coordinate system 108 maycorrespond to where the mixed reality system 112 was powered on. In someembodiments, the origin point 106 of the environment/world coordinatesystem 108 may be reset during operation. In some examples, user 110 maybe considered a real object in real environment 100; similarly, user110's body parts (e.g., hands, feet) may be considered real objects inreal environment 100. In some examples, a user/listener/head coordinatesystem 114 (comprising an x-axis 114X, a y-axis 114Y, and a z-axis 114Z)with its origin at point 115 (e.g., user/listener/head coordinate) candefine a coordinate space for the user/listener/head on which the mixedreality system 112 is located. The origin point 115 of theuser/listener/head coordinate system 114 may be defined relative to oneor more components of the mixed reality system 112. For example, theorigin point 115 of the user/listener/head coordinate system 114 may bedefined relative to the display of the mixed reality system 112 such asduring initial calibration of the mixed reality system 112. A matrix(which may include a translation matrix and a Quaternion matrix or otherrotation matrix), or other suitable representation can characterize atransformation between the user/listener/head coordinate system 114space and the environment/world coordinate system 108 space. In someembodiments, a left ear coordinate 116 and a right ear coordinate 117may be defined relative to the origin point 115 of theuser/listener/head coordinate system 114. A matrix (which may include atranslation matrix and a Quaternion matrix or other rotation matrix), orother suitable representation can characterize a transformation betweenthe left ear coordinate 116 and the right ear coordinate 117, anduser/listener/head coordinate system 114 space. The user/listener/headcoordinate system 114 can simplify the representation of locationsrelative to the user's head, or to a wearable head device, for example,relative to the environment/world coordinate system 108. UsingSimultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), visual odometry, or othertechniques, a transformation between user coordinate system 114 andenvironment coordinate system 108 can be determined and updated inreal-time.

FIG. 1B illustrates an example virtual environment 130 that correspondsto real environment 100. The virtual environment 130 shown comprises avirtual rectangular room 104B corresponding to real rectangular room104A; a virtual object 122B corresponding to real object 122A; a virtualobject 124B corresponding to real object 124A; and a virtual object 126Bcorresponding to real object 126A. Metadata associated with the virtualobjects 122B, 124B, 126B can include information derived from thecorresponding real objects 122A, 124A, 126A. Virtual environment 130additionally comprises a virtual monster 132, which does not correspondto any real object in real environment 100. Real object 128A in realenvironment 100 does not correspond to any virtual object in virtualenvironment 130. A persistent coordinate system 133 (comprising anx-axis 133X, a y-axis 133Y, and a z-axis 133Z) with its origin at point134 (persistent coordinate), can define a coordinate space for virtualcontent. The origin point 134 of the persistent coordinate system 133may be defined relative/with respect to one or more real objects, suchas the real object 126A. A matrix (which may include a translationmatrix and a Quaternion matrix or other rotation matrix), or othersuitable representation can characterize a transformation between thepersistent coordinate system 133 space and the environment/worldcoordinate system 108 space. In some embodiments, each of the virtualobjects 122B, 124B, 126B, and 132 may have their own persistentcoordinate point relative to the origin point 134 of the persistentcoordinate system 133. In some embodiments, there may be multiplepersistent coordinate systems and each of the virtual objects 122B,124B, 126B, and 132 may have their own persistent coordinate pointrelative to one or more persistent coordinate systems.

With respect to FIGS. 1A and 1B, environment/world coordinate system 108defines a shared coordinate space for both real environment 100 andvirtual environment 130. In the example shown, the coordinate space hasits origin at point 106. Further, the coordinate space is defined by thesame three orthogonal axes (108X, 108Y, 108Z). Accordingly, a firstlocation in real environment 100, and a second, corresponding locationin virtual environment 130, can be described with respect to the samecoordinate space. This simplifies identifying and displayingcorresponding locations in real and virtual environments, because thesame coordinates can be used to identify both locations. However, insome examples, corresponding real and virtual environments need not usea shared coordinate space. For instance, in some examples (not shown), amatrix (which may include a translation matrix and a Quaternion matrixor other rotation matrix), or other suitable representation cancharacterize a transformation between a real environment coordinatespace and a virtual environment coordinate space.

FIG. 1C illustrates an example MRE 150 that simultaneously presentsaspects of real environment 100 and virtual environment 130 to user 110via mixed reality system 112. In the example shown, MRE 150simultaneously presents user 110 with real objects 122A, 124A, 126A, and128A from real environment 100 (e.g., via a transmissive portion of adisplay of mixed reality system 112); and virtual objects 122B, 124B,126B, and 132 from virtual environment 130 (e.g., via an active displayportion of the display of mixed reality system 112). As above, originpoint 106 acts as an origin for a coordinate space corresponding to MRE150, and coordinate system 108 defines an x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis forthe coordinate space.

In the example shown, mixed reality objects comprise corresponding pairsof real objects and virtual objects (i.e., 122A/122B, 124A/124B,126A/126B) that occupy corresponding locations in coordinate space 108.In some examples, both the real objects and the virtual objects may besimultaneously visible to user 110. This may be desirable in, forexample, instances where the virtual object presents informationdesigned to augment a view of the corresponding real object (such as ina museum application where a virtual object presents the missing piecesof an ancient damaged sculpture). In some examples, the virtual objects(122B, 124B, and/or 126B) may be displayed (e.g., via active pixelatedocclusion using a pixelated occlusion shutter) so as to occlude thecorresponding real objects (122A, 124A, and/or 126A). This may bedesirable in, for example, instances where the virtual object acts as avisual replacement for the corresponding real object (such as in aninteractive storytelling application where an inanimate real objectbecomes a “living” character).

In some examples, real objects (e.g., 122A, 124A, 126A) may beassociated with virtual content or helper data that may not necessarilyconstitute virtual objects. Virtual content or helper data canfacilitate processing or handling of virtual objects in the mixedreality environment. For example, such virtual content could includetwo-dimensional representations of corresponding real objects; customasset types associated with corresponding real objects; or statisticaldata associated with corresponding real objects. This information canenable or facilitate calculations involving a real object withoutincurring unnecessary computational overhead.

In some examples, the presentation described above may also incorporateaudio aspects. For instance, in MRE 150, virtual monster 132 could beassociated with one or more audio signals, such as a footstep soundeffect that is generated as the monster walks around MRE 150. Asdescribed further below, a processor of mixed reality system 112 cancompute an audio signal corresponding to a mixed and processed compositeof all such sounds in MRE 150, and present the audio signal to user 110via one or more speakers included in mixed reality system 112 and/or oneor more external speakers.

Example Mixed Reality System

Example mixed reality system 112 can include a wearable head device(e.g., a wearable augmented reality or mixed reality head device)comprising a display (which may comprise left and right transmissivedisplays, which may be near-eye displays, and associated components forcoupling light from the displays to the user's eyes); left and rightspeakers (e.g., positioned adjacent to the user's left and right ears,respectively); an inertial measurement unit (IMU)(e.g., mounted to atemple arm of the head device); an orthogonal coil electromagneticreceiver (e.g., mounted to the left temple piece); left and rightcameras (e.g., depth (time-of-flight) cameras) oriented away from theuser; and left and right eye cameras oriented toward the user (e.g., fordetecting the user's eye movements). However, a mixed reality system 112can incorporate any suitable display technology, and any suitablesensors (e.g., optical, infrared, acoustic, LIDAR, EOG, GPS, magnetic).In addition, mixed reality system 112 may incorporate networkingfeatures (e.g., Wi-Fi capability) to communicate with other devices andsystems, including other mixed reality systems. Mixed reality system 112may further include a battery (which may be mounted in an auxiliaryunit, such as a belt pack designed to be worn around a user's waist), aprocessor, and a memory. The wearable head device of mixed realitysystem 112 may include tracking components, such as an IMU or othersuitable sensors, configured to output a set of coordinates of thewearable head device relative to the user's environment. In someexamples, tracking components may provide input to a processorperforming a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) and/or visualodometry algorithm. In some examples, mixed reality system 112 may alsoinclude a handheld controller 300, and/or an auxiliary unit 320, whichmay be a wearable beltpack, as described further below.

FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate components of an example mixed reality system 200(which may correspond to mixed reality system 112) that may be used topresent a MRE (which may correspond to MRE 150), or other virtualenvironment, to a user. FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of awearable head device 2102 included in example mixed reality system 200.FIG. 2B illustrates a top view of wearable head device 2102 worn on auser's head 2202. FIG. 2C illustrates a front view of wearable headdevice 2102. FIG. 2D illustrates an edge view of example eyepiece 2110of wearable head device 2102. As shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, the examplewearable head device 2102 includes an example left eyepiece (e.g., aleft transparent waveguide set eyepiece) 2108 and an example righteyepiece (e.g., a right transparent waveguide set eyepiece) 2110. Eacheyepiece 2108 and 2110 can include transmissive elements through which areal environment can be visible, as well as display elements forpresenting a display (e.g., via imagewise modulated light) overlappingthe real environment. In some examples, such display elements caninclude surface diffractive optical elements for controlling the flow ofimagewise modulated light. For instance, the left eyepiece 2108 caninclude a left incoupling grating set 2112, a left orthogonal pupilexpansion (OPE) grating set 2120, and a left exit (output) pupilexpansion (EPE) grating set 2122. Similarly, the right eyepiece 2110 caninclude a right incoupling grating set 2118, a right OPE grating set2114 and a right EPE grating set 2116. Imagewise modulated light can betransferred to a user's eye via the incoupling gratings 2112 and 2118,OPEs 2114 and 2120, and EPE 2116 and 2122. Each incoupling grating set2112, 2118 can be configured to deflect light toward its correspondingOPE grating set 2120, 2114. Each OPE grating set 2120, 2114 can bedesigned to incrementally deflect light down toward its associated EPE2122, 2116, thereby horizontally extending an exit pupil being formed.Each EPE 2122, 2116 can be configured to incrementally redirect at leasta portion of light received from its corresponding OPE grating set 2120,2114 outward to a user eyebox position (not shown) defined behind theeyepieces 2108, 2110, vertically extending the exit pupil that is formedat the eyebox. Alternatively, in lieu of the incoupling grating sets2112 and 2118, OPE grating sets 2114 and 2120, and EPE grating sets 2116and 2122, the eyepieces 2108 and 2110 can include other arrangements ofgratings and/or refractive and reflective features for controlling thecoupling of imagewise modulated light to the user's eyes.

In some examples, wearable head device 2102 can include a left templearm 2130 and a right temple arm 2132, where the left temple arm 2130includes a left speaker 2134 and the right temple arm 2132 includes aright speaker 2136. An orthogonal coil electromagnetic receiver 2138 canbe located in the left temple piece, or in another suitable location inthe wearable head device 2102. An Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) 2140can be located in the right temple arm 2132, or in another suitablelocation in the wearable head device 2102. The wearable head device 2102can also include a left depth (e.g., time-of-flight) camera 2142 and aright depth camera 2144. The depth cameras 2142, 2144 can be suitablyoriented in different directions so as to together cover a wider fieldof view.

In the example shown in FIGS. 2A-2D, a left source of imagewisemodulated light 2124 can be optically coupled into the left eyepiece2108 through the left incoupling grating set 2112, and a right source ofimagewise modulated light 2126 can be optically coupled into the righteyepiece 2110 through the right incoupling grating set 2118. Sources ofimagewise modulated light 2124, 2126 can include, for example, opticalfiber scanners; projectors including electronic light modulators such asDigital Light Processing (DLP) chips or Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS)modulators; or emissive displays, such as micro Light Emitting Diode(μLED) or micro Organic Light Emitting Diode (μOLED) panels coupled intothe incoupling grating sets 2112, 2118 using one or more lenses perside. The input coupling grating sets 2112, 2118 can deflect light fromthe sources of imagewise modulated light 2124, 2126 to angles above thecritical angle for Total Internal Reflection (TIR) for the eyepieces2108, 2110. The OPE grating sets 2114, 2120 incrementally deflect lightpropagating by TIR down toward the EPE grating sets 2116, 2122. The EPEgrating sets 2116, 2122 incrementally couple light toward the user'sface, including the pupils of the user's eyes.

In some examples, as shown in FIG. 2D, each of the left eyepiece 2108and the right eyepiece 2110 includes a plurality of waveguides 2402. Forexample, each eyepiece 2108, 2110 can include multiple individualwaveguides, each dedicated to a respective color channel (e.g., red,blue and green). In some examples, each eyepiece 2108, 2110 can includemultiple sets of such waveguides, with each set configured to impartdifferent wavefront curvature to emitted light. The wavefront curvaturemay be convex with respect to the user's eyes, for example to present avirtual object positioned a distance in front of the user (e.g., by adistance corresponding to the reciprocal of wavefront curvature). Insome examples, EPE grating sets 2116, 2122 can include curved gratinggrooves to effect convex wavefront curvature by altering the Poyntingvector of exiting light across each EPE.

In some examples, to create a perception that displayed content isthree-dimensional, stereoscopically-adjusted left and right eye imagerycan be presented to the user through the imagewise light modulators2124, 2126 and the eyepieces 2108, 2110. The perceived realism of apresentation of a three-dimensional virtual object can be enhanced byselecting waveguides (and thus corresponding the wavefront curvatures)such that the virtual object is displayed at a distance approximating adistance indicated by the stereoscopic left and right images. Thistechnique may also reduce motion sickness experienced by some users,which may be caused by differences between the depth perception cuesprovided by stereoscopic left and right eye imagery, and the autonomicaccommodation (e.g., object distance-dependent focus) of the human eye.

FIG. 2D illustrates an edge-facing view from the top of the righteyepiece 2110 of example wearable head device 2102. As shown in FIG. 2D,the plurality of waveguides 2402 can include a first subset of threewaveguides 2404 and a second subset of three waveguides 2406. The twosubsets of waveguides 2404, 2406 can be differentiated by different EPEgratings featuring different grating line curvatures to impart differentwavefront curvatures to exiting light. Within each of the subsets ofwaveguides 2404, 2406 each waveguide can be used to couple a differentspectral channel (e.g., one of red, green and blue spectral channels) tothe user's right eye 2206. (Although not shown in FIG. 2D, the structureof the left eyepiece 2108 is analogous to the structure of the righteyepiece 2110.)

FIG. 3A illustrates an example handheld controller component 300 of amixed reality system 200. In some examples, handheld controller 300includes a grip portion 346 and one or more buttons 350 disposed along atop surface 348. In some examples, buttons 350 may be configured for useas an optical tracking target, e.g., for tracking six-degree-of-freedom(6DOF) motion of the handheld controller 300, in conjunction with acamera or other optical sensor (which may be mounted in a head unit(e.g., wearable head device 2102) of mixed reality system 200). In someexamples, handheld controller 300 includes tracking components (e.g., anIMU or other suitable sensors) for detecting position or orientation,such as position or orientation relative to wearable head device 2102.In some examples, such tracking components may be positioned in a handleof handheld controller 300, and/or may be mechanically coupled to thehandheld controller. Handheld controller 300 can be configured toprovide one or more output signals corresponding to one or more of apressed state of the buttons; or a position, orientation, and/or motionof the handheld controller 300 (e.g., via an IMU). Such output signalsmay be used as input to a processor of mixed reality system 200. Suchinput may correspond to a position, orientation, and/or movement of thehandheld controller (and, by extension, to a position, orientation,and/or movement of a hand of a user holding the controller). Such inputmay also correspond to a user pressing buttons 350.

FIG. 3B illustrates an example auxiliary unit 320 of a mixed realitysystem 200. The auxiliary unit 320 can include a battery to provideenergy to operate the system 200, and can include a processor forexecuting programs to operate the system 200. As shown, the exampleauxiliary unit 320 includes a clip 2128, such as for attaching theauxiliary unit 320 to a user's belt. Other form factors are suitable forauxiliary unit 320 and will be apparent, including form factors that donot involve mounting the unit to a user's belt. In some examples,auxiliary unit 320 is coupled to the wearable head device 2102 through amulticonduit cable that can include, for example, electrical wires andfiber optics. Wireless connections between the auxiliary unit 320 andthe wearable head device 2102 can also be used.

In some examples, mixed reality system 200 can include one or moremicrophones to detect sound and provide corresponding signals to themixed reality system. In some examples, a microphone may be attached to,or integrated with, wearable head device 2102, and may be configured todetect a user's voice. In some examples, a microphone may be attachedto, or integrated with, handheld controller 300 and/or auxiliary unit320. Such a microphone may be configured to detect environmental sounds,ambient noise, voices of a user or a third party, or other sounds.

FIG. 4 shows an example functional block diagram that may correspond toan example mixed reality system, such as mixed reality system 200described above (which may correspond to mixed reality system 112 withrespect to FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 4, example handheld controller 400B(which may correspond to handheld controller 300 (a “totem”)) includes atotem-to-wearable head device six degree of freedom (6DOF) totemsubsystem 404A and example wearable head device 400A (which maycorrespond to wearable head device 2102) includes a totem-to-wearablehead device 6DOF subsystem 404B. In the example, the 6DOF totemsubsystem 404A and the 6DOF subsystem 404B cooperate to determine sixcoordinates (e.g., offsets in three translation directions and rotationalong three axes) of the handheld controller 400B relative to thewearable head device 400A. The six degrees of freedom may be expressedrelative to a coordinate system of the wearable head device 400A. Thethree translation offsets may be expressed as X, Y, and Z offsets insuch a coordinate system, as a translation matrix, or as some otherrepresentation. The rotation degrees of freedom may be expressed assequence of yaw, pitch and roll rotations, as a rotation matrix, as aquaternion, or as some other representation. In some examples, thewearable head device 400A; one or more depth cameras 444 (and/or one ormore non-depth cameras) included in the wearable head device 400A;and/or one or more optical targets (e.g., buttons 350 of handheldcontroller 400B as described above, or dedicated optical targetsincluded in the handheld controller 400B) can be used for 6DOF tracking.In some examples, the handheld controller 400B can include a camera, asdescribed above; and the wearable head device 400A can include anoptical target for optical tracking in conjunction with the camera. Insome examples, the wearable head device 400A and the handheld controller400B each include a set of three orthogonally oriented solenoids whichare used to wirelessly send and receive three distinguishable signals.By measuring the relative magnitude of the three distinguishable signalsreceived in each of the coils used for receiving, the 6DOF of thewearable head device 400A relative to the handheld controller 400B maybe determined. Additionally, 6DOF totem subsystem 404A can include anInertial Measurement Unit (IMU) that is useful to provide improvedaccuracy and/or more timely information on rapid movements of thehandheld controller 400B.

In some examples, it may become necessary to transform coordinates froma local coordinate space (e.g., a coordinate space fixed relative to thewearable head device 400A) to an inertial coordinate space (e.g., acoordinate space fixed relative to the real environment), for example inorder to compensate for the movement of the wearable head device 400Arelative to the coordinate system 108. For instance, suchtransformations may be necessary for a display of the wearable headdevice 400A to present a virtual object at an expected position andorientation relative to the real environment (e.g., a virtual personsitting in a real chair, facing forward, regardless of the wearable headdevice's position and orientation), rather than at a fixed position andorientation on the display (e.g., at the same position in the rightlower corner of the display), to preserve the illusion that the virtualobject exists in the real environment (and does not, for example, appearpositioned unnaturally in the real environment as the wearable headdevice 400A shifts and rotates). In some examples, a compensatorytransformation between coordinate spaces can be determined by processingimagery from the depth cameras 444 using a SLAM and/or visual odometryprocedure in order to determine the transformation of the wearable headdevice 400A relative to the coordinate system 108. In the example shownin FIG. 4, the depth cameras 444 are coupled to a SLAM/visual odometryblock 406 and can provide imagery to block 406. The SLAM/visual odometryblock 406 implementation can include a processor configured to processthis imagery and determine a position and orientation of the user'shead, which can then be used to identify a transformation between a headcoordinate space and another coordinate space (e.g., an inertialcoordinate space). Similarly, in some examples, an additional source ofinformation on the user's head pose and location is obtained from an IMU409. Information from the IMU 409 can be integrated with informationfrom the SLAM/visual odometry block 406 to provide improved accuracyand/or more timely information on rapid adjustments of the user's headpose and position.

In some examples, the depth cameras 444 can supply 3D imagery to a handgesture tracker 411, which may be implemented in a processor of thewearable head device 400A. The hand gesture tracker 411 can identify auser's hand gestures, for example by matching 3D imagery received fromthe depth cameras 444 to stored patterns representing hand gestures.Other suitable techniques of identifying a user's hand gestures will beapparent.

In some examples, one or more processors 416 may be configured toreceive data from the wearable head device's 6DOF wearable head devicesubsystem 404B, the IMU 409, the SLAM/visual odometry block 406, depthcameras 444, and/or the hand gesture tracker 411. The processor 416 canalso send and receive control signals from the 6DOF totem system 404A.The processor 416 may be coupled to the 6DOF totem system 404Awirelessly, such as in examples where the handheld controller 400B isuntethered. Processor 416 may further communicate with additionalcomponents, such as an audio-visual content memory 418, a GraphicalProcessing Unit (GPU) 420, and/or a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) audiospatializer 422. The DSP audio spatializer 422 may be coupled to a HeadRelated Transfer Function (HRTF) memory 425. The GPU 420 can include aleft channel output coupled to the left source of imagewise modulatedlight 424 and a right channel output coupled to the right source ofimagewise modulated light 426. GPU 420 can output stereoscopic imagedata to the sources of imagewise modulated light 424, 426, for exampleas described above with respect to FIGS. 2A-2D. The DSP audiospatializer 422 can output audio to a left speaker 412 and/or a rightspeaker 414. The DSP audio spatializer 422 can receive input fromprocessor 419 indicating a direction vector from a user to a virtualsound source (which may be moved by the user, e.g., via the handheldcontroller 320). Based on the direction vector, the DSP audiospatializer 422 can determine a corresponding HRTF (e.g., by accessing aHRTF, or by interpolating multiple HRTFs). The DSP audio spatializer 422can then apply the determined HRTF to an audio signal, such as an audiosignal corresponding to a virtual sound generated by a virtual object.This can enhance the believability and realism of the virtual sound, byincorporating the relative position and orientation of the user relativeto the virtual sound in the mixed reality environment—that is, bypresenting a virtual sound that matches a user's expectations of whatthat virtual sound would sound like if it were a real sound in a realenvironment.

In some examples, such as shown in FIG. 4, one or more of processor 416,GPU 420, DSP audio spatializer 422, HRTF memory 425, and audio/visualcontent memory 418 may be included in an auxiliary unit 400C (which maycorrespond to auxiliary unit 320 described above). The auxiliary unit400C may include a battery 427 to power its components and/or to supplypower to the wearable head device 400A or handheld controller 400B.Including such components in an auxiliary unit, which can be mounted toa user's waist, can limit the size and weight of the wearable headdevice 400A, which can in turn reduce fatigue of a user's head and neck.

While FIG. 4 presents elements corresponding to various components of anexample mixed reality system, various other suitable arrangements ofthese components will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Forexample, elements presented in FIG. 4 as being associated with auxiliaryunit 400C could instead be associated with the wearable head device 400Aor handheld controller 400B. Furthermore, some mixed reality systems mayforgo entirely a handheld controller 400B or auxiliary unit 400C. Suchchanges and modifications are to be understood as being included withinthe scope of the disclosed examples.

Virtual Sound Sources

As described above, a MRE (such as experienced via a mixed realitysystem, e.g., mixed reality system 200 described above) can present, toa user, audio signals that may correspond to a “listener” coordinate,such that the audio signals represent what a user might hear at thatlistener coordinate. Some audio signals may correspond to a positionand/or orientation of a sound source in the MRE; that is, the signalsmay be presented such that they appear to originate from the position ofthe sound source in the MRE, and propagate in the direction of theorientation of the sound source in the MRE. In some cases, such audiosignals may be considered virtual in that they correspond to virtualcontent in a virtual environment, and do not necessarily correspond toreal sounds in the real environment. The sound associated with virtualcontent may be synthesized or produced by processing stored soundsamples. Virtual audio signals can be presented to a user as real audiosignals detectable by the human ear, for example as generated viaspeakers 2134 and 2136 of wearable head device 2102 in FIGS. 2A-2D.

A sound source may correspond to a real object and/or a virtual object.For example, a virtual object (e.g., virtual monster 132 of FIG. 1C) canemit an audio signal in a MRE, which is represented in the MRE as avirtual audio signal, and presented to the user as a real audio signal.For instance, virtual monster 132 of FIG. 1C can emit a virtual soundcorresponding to the monster's speech (e.g., dialogue) or sound effects.Similarly, a real object (e.g., real object 122A of FIG. 1C) can emit avirtual sound in a MRE, which is represented in the MRE as a virtualaudio signal, and presented to the user as a real audio signal. Forinstance, real lamp 122A can emit a virtual sound corresponding to thesound effect of the lamp being switched on or off even if the lamp isnot being switched on or off in the real environment. (The luminance ofthe lamp can be virtually produced using the eyepieces 2108, 2110 andthe sources of imagewise modulated light 2124, 2126.) The virtual soundcan correspond to a position and orientation of the sound source(whether real or virtual). For instance, if the virtual sound ispresented to the user as a real audio signal (e.g., via speakers 2134and 2136), the user may perceive the virtual sound as originating fromthe position of the sound source, and traveling in the direction of anorientation of the sound source. (Sound sources may be referred toherein as “virtual sound sources,” even though the sound source mayitself correspond to a real object, such as described above.)

In some virtual or mixed reality environments, when users are presentedwith audio signals, such as described above, they may experiencedifficulty quickly and accurately identifying the source of the audiosignal in the virtual environment—even though identifying audio sourcesin the real environment is an intuitive natural ability. It is desirableto improve the ability of the user to perceive a position or orientationof the sound source in the MRE, such that the user's experience in avirtual or mixed reality environment more closely resembles the user'sexperience in the real world.

Similarly, some virtual or mixed reality environments suffer from aperception that the environments do not feel real or authentic. Onereason for this perception is that audio and visual cues do not alwaysmatch each other in virtual environments. For example, if a user ispositioned behind a large brick wall in a MRE, the user may expectsounds coming from behind the brick wall to be quieter and more muffledthan sounds originating right next to the user. This expectation isbased on our own auditory experiences in the real world, where soundsbecome quiet and muffled when they are obstructed by large, denseobjects. When the user is presented with an audio signal thatpurportedly originates from behind the brick wall, but that is presentedunmuffled and at full volume, the illusion that the user is behind abrick wall—or that the sound originates from behind it—is compromised.The entire virtual experience may feel fake and inauthentic, in partbecause it does not comport with our own expectations based on realworld interactions. Further, in some cases, the “uncanny valley” problemarises, in which even subtle differences between virtual experiences andreal experiences can cause feelings of discomfort. It is desirable toimprove the user's experience by presenting, in a MRE, audio signalsthat appear to realistically interact—even in subtle ways—with objectsin the user's environment. The more consistent that such audio signalsare with our own expectations, based on real world experience, the moreimmersive and engaging the user's MRE experience will be.

One way the human brain detects the position and orientation of soundsources is by interpreting differences between sounds received by theleft and right ears. For example, if an audio signal in a realenvironment reaches the user's left ear before it reaches the rightear—which the human auditory system may determine by, for example,identifying a time delay or phase shift between the left ear signal andthe right ear signal—the brain may recognize that the source of theaudio signal is to the left of the user. Similarly, because theeffective power of audio signals generally decreases with distance, andcan be obstructed by the user's own head, if an audio signal appearslouder to the left ear than to the right ear, the brain may recognizethat the source is to the left of the user. Similarly, our brainsrecognize that differences in frequency characteristics between a leftear signal and a right ear signal can indicate a position of the source,or a direction in which an audio signal travels.

The above techniques, which the human brain performs subconsciously,operate by processing stereo audio signals—specifically, by analyzingdifferences (e.g., in amplitude, phase, frequency characteristics), ifany, between the respective audio signals generated by a single soundsource, and received at the left ear and the right ear. As humans, wenaturally rely on these stereo auditory techniques to quickly andaccurately identify where the sounds in our real environment come from,and in what direction they are traveling. We also rely on such stereotechniques to better understand the world around us—for example, whetherthe sound source is on the other side of a nearby wall, and if so, howthick that wall is, and what material it is made of.

It may be desirable for MREs to exploit the same natural stereotechniques that our brains use in the real world, to convincingly placevirtual sound sources in a MRE in such a way that a user can quicklylocate them. Likewise, it may be desirable to use these same techniquesto enhance the feeling that such virtual sound sources coexist with realand virtual content in the MRE—for example, by presenting stereo audiosignals, corresponding to those sound sources, that behave as stereoaudio signals do in the real world. By presenting a user of a MRE withan audio experience that evokes the audio experiences of our everydaylives, a MRE can enhance the user's feeling of immersion andconnectedness when engaging with the MRE.

FIGS. 5A and 5B depict a perspective view and a top view, respectively,of an example mixed reality environment 500 (which may correspond tomixed reality environment 150 of FIG. 1C). In MRE 500, user 501 has aleft ear 502 and a right ear 504. In the example shown, user 501 iswearing a wearable head device 510 (which may correspond to wearablehead device 2102), including a left speaker 512 and a right speaker 514(which may correspond to speakers 2134 and 2136, respectively). Leftspeaker 512 is configured to present audio signals to left ear 502, andright speaker 514 is configured to present audio signals to right ear504.

Example MRE 500 includes a virtual sound source 520, which may have aposition and orientation in a coordinate system of MRE 500. In someexamples, virtual sound source 520 may be a virtual object (e.g.,virtual object 122A in FIG. 1C) and may be associated with a real object(e.g., real object 122B in FIG. 1C). Accordingly, virtual sound source520 may have any or all of the characteristics described above withrespect to virtual objects.

In some examples, virtual sound source 520 may be associated with one ormore physical parameters, such as a size, a shape, a mass, or amaterial. In some examples, the orientation of virtual sound source 520may correspond to one or more such physical parameters; for instance, inexamples where virtual sound source 520 corresponds to a speaker with aspeaker cone, the orientation of the virtual sound source 520 maycorrespond to the axis of the speaker cone. In examples in which virtualsound source 520 is associated with a real object, the physicalparameters associated with virtual sound source 520 may be derived fromone or more physical parameters of the real object. For instance, if thereal object is a speaker with a twelve-inch speaker cone, the virtualsound source 520 could have physical parameters corresponding to atwelve-inch speaker cone (e.g., as virtual object 122B may derivephysical parameters or dimensions from corresponding real object 122A ofMRE 150).

In some examples, virtual sound source 520 may be associated with one ormore virtual parameters, which may affect audio signals or other signalsor properties associated with the virtual sound source. Virtualparameters can include spatial properties in a coordinate space of a MRE(e.g., position, orientation, shape, dimensions); visual properties(e.g., color, transparency, reflectivity); physical properties (e.g.,density; elasticity; tensile strength; temperature; smoothness; wetness;resonance; electrical conductivity); or other suitable properties of anobject. A mixed reality system can determine such parameters, andaccordingly generate virtual objects having those parameters. Thesevirtual objects can be rendered to the user (e.g., by wearable headdevice 510) according to these parameters.

In one example of MRE 500, a virtual audio signal 530 is emitted byvirtual sound source 520 at the position of the virtual sound source,and propagates outward from the virtual sound source. In certaininstances a anisotropic directivity pattern (e.g., exhibitingfrequency-dependent anisotropy) can be associated with the virtual soundsource, and the virtual audio signal emitted in a certain direction(e.g., a direction toward the user 501) can be determined based on thedirectivity pattern. Virtual audio signals are not directly perceptibleby a user of the MRE, but can be converted to real audio signals by oneor more speakers (e.g., speakers 512 or 514), which produce real audiosignals that can be heard by the user. For example, a virtual audiosignal may be a computational representation, for instance by aprocessor and/or memory associated with a MRE, of digital audio datathat could be converted to an analog signal via a digital-audioconverter; and then amplified and used to drive a speaker, producingsound perceptible by a listener. Such computational representation cancomprise, for example, a coordinate in the MRE at which the virtualaudio signal originates; a vector in the MRE along which the virtualaudio signal propagates; a directivity, a time at which the virtualaudio signal originates; a speed at which the virtual audio signalpropagates; or other suitable characteristics.

A MRE may also include a representation of one or more listenercoordinates, each of which corresponds to a location in a coordinatesystem (a “listener”) at which a virtual audio signal can be perceived.In some examples, a MRE may also include a representation of one or morelistener vectors, representing an orientation of a listener (e.g., foruse in determining audio signals that may be affected by the directionin which the listener faces). In a MRE, a listener coordinate cancorrespond to the actual location of a user's ear, which can bedetermined using SLAM, visual odometry, and/or with the aid of an IMU(e.g., IMU 409 described above with respect to FIG. 4). In someexamples, a MRE can include left and right listener coordinates,corresponding to the locations of the user's left and right ears,respectively, in a coordinate system of the MRE. By determining a vectorof a virtual audio signal from the virtual sound source to the listenercoordinate, a real audio signal can be determined that corresponds tohow a human listener with an ear at that coordinate would perceive thevirtual audio signal.

In some examples, a virtual audio signal comprises base sound data(e.g., a computer file representing an audio waveform) and one or moreparameters that can be applied to that base sound data. Such parametersmay correspond to attenuation of the base sound (e.g., a volumedrop-off); filtering of the base sound (e.g., a low-pass filter); timedelay (e.g., phase shift) of the base sound; reverberation parametersfor applying artificial reverb and echo effects; voltage-controlledoscillator (VCO) parameters for applying time-based modulation effects;pitch modulation of the base sound (e.g., to simulate Doppler effects);or other suitable parameters. In some examples, these parameters can befunctions of the relationship of the listener coordinate to the virtualaudio source. For example, a parameter could define the attenuation ofthe real audio signal to be a decreasing function of distance from alistener coordinate to the position of the virtual audio source—that is,the gain of audio signal decreases as the distance from the listener tothe virtual audio source increases. As another example, a parametercould define a low-pass filter applied to a virtual audio signal to be afunction of the distance of the listener coordinate (and/or the angle ofa listener vector) to the propagation vector of the virtual audiosignal; for instance, a listener far away from the virtual audio signalmay perceive less high frequency power in the signal than will alistener closer to the signal. As a further example, a parameter coulddefine a time delay (e.g., phase shift) to be applied based on thedistance between the listener coordinate and the virtual audio source.In some examples, processing of the virtual audio signal can be computedusing DSP audio spatializer 422 of FIG. 4, which can utilize a HRTF topresent an audio signal based on the position and orientation of theuser's head.

Virtual audio signal parameters can be affected by virtual or realobjects—sound occluders—that the virtual audio signal passes through onits way to a listener coordinate. (As used herein, virtual or realobjects include any suitable representation of virtual or real objectsin a MRE.) For example, if a virtual audio signal intersects (e.g., isobstructed by) a virtual wall in a MRE, the MRE could apply anattenuation to the virtual audio signal (resulting in the signalappearing quieter to the listener). The MRE could also apply a low-passfilter to the virtual audio signal, resulting in the signal appearingmore muffled as high-frequency content is rolled off. These effects areconsistent with our expectations of hearing a sound from behind a wall:the properties of a wall in a real environment are such that sounds fromthe other side of the wall are quieter, and have less high-frequencycontent, as the wall obstructs sound waves originating on the oppositeside of the wall from the listener. The application of such parametersto the audio signal can be based on properties of the virtual wall: forexample, a virtual wall that is thicker, or corresponds to densermaterials, may result in a greater degree of attenuation or low-passfiltering than a virtual wall that is thinner or that corresponds toless dense materials. In some cases, virtual objects may apply a phaseshift, or additional effects, to the virtual audio signal. The effectthat a virtual object has on a virtual audio signal can be determined bya physical modeling of the virtual object—for example, if the virtualobject corresponds to a particular material (e.g., brick, aluminum,water), effects could be applied based on the known transmissioncharacteristics of an audio signal in the presence of that material inthe real world.

In some examples, virtual objects with which an virtual audio signalintersects may correspond to real objects (e.g., such as real objects122A, 124A, and 126A correspond to virtual objects 122B, 124B, and 126Bin FIG. 1C). In some examples, such virtual objects may not correspondto real objects (e.g., such as virtual monster 132 in FIG. 1C). In caseswhere virtual objects correspond to real objects, the virtual objectsmay adopt parameters (e.g., dimensions, materials) that correspond tothe properties of those real objects.

In some examples, a virtual audio signal may intersect with a realobject that does not have a corresponding virtual object. For examples,characteristics of a real object (e.g., position, orientation,dimensions, materials) can be determined by sensors (such as attached towearable head device 510), which characteristics can be used to processthe virtual audio signal, such as described above with respect tovirtual object occluders.

Stereo Effects

As noted above, by determining a vector of a virtual audio signal fromthe virtual sound source to the listener coordinate, a real audio signalcan be determined that corresponds to how a human listener with an earat that listener coordinate would perceive the virtual audio signal. Insome examples, left and right stereo listener coordinates (correspondingto the left and right ears) can be used instead of just a singlelistener coordinate, allowing the effects of real objects on audiosignals—for example, attenuation or filtering based on the interactionof an audio signal with a real object—to be determined separately foreach ear. This can enhance the realism of a virtual environment bymimicking real-world stereo audio experiences, where receiving differentaudio signals in each ear can help us to understand the sounds in oursurroundings. Such effects, where the left and right ears experiencedifferently affected audio signals, can be especially pronounced wherereal objects are in close proximity to the user. For example, if theuser 501 is peeking around a corner of a real object at a meowingvirtual cat, the cat's meowing sounds can be determined and presenteddifferently for each ear. That is, the sound for an ear positionedbehind the real object can reflect that the real object, which sitsbetween the cat and the ear, may attenuate and filter the cat's sound asheard by that ear; while the sound for another ear positioned beyond thereal object can reflect that the real object performs no suchattenuation or filtering. Such sounds can be presented via the users512, 514 of the wearable head device 510.

Desirable stereo auditory effects, such as described above, can besimulated by determining two such vectors—one for each ear—andidentifying a unique virtual audio signal for each ear. Each of thesetwo unique virtual audio signals can then be converted into a real audiosignal, and presented to the respective ear via a speaker associatedwith that ear. The user's brain will process those real audio signalsthe same way it would process ordinary stereo audio signals in the realworld, as described above.

This is illustrated by example MRE 500 in FIGS. 5A and 5B. MRE 500includes a wall 540 which sits between virtual sound source 520 and user501. In some examples, wall 540 may be a real object, not unlike realobject 126A of FIG. 1C. In some examples, wall 540 may be a virtualobject, such as virtual object 122B of FIG. 1C; further, in some suchexamples, that virtual object may correspond to a real object, such asreal object 122A of FIG. 1C.

In examples in which wall 540 is a real object, wall 540 may bedetected, for example, using depth cameras, or other sensors of wearablehead device 510. This can identify one or more characteristics of thereal object, such as its position, orientation, visual properties, ormaterial properties. These characteristics can be associated with wall540 and included in maintaining an updating MRE 500, such as describedabove. These characteristics can then be used to process virtual audiosignals according to how those virtual audio signals would be affectedby wall 540, as described below. In some examples, virtual content suchas helper data may be associated with the real object, in order tofacilitate processing virtual audio signals affected by the real object.For example, helper data could include geometric primitives thatresemble the real object; two-dimensional image data associated with thereal object; or custom asset types that identify one or more propertiesassociated with the real object.

In some examples in which wall 540 is a virtual object, the virtualobject may be computed to correspond with a real object, which may bedetected as described above. For example, with respect to FIG. 1C, realobject 122A may be detected by wearable head device 510, and virtualobject 122B may be generated to correspond with one or morecharacteristics of real object 122A, as described above. Additionally,one or more characteristics may be associated with the virtual objectthat are not derived from its corresponding real object. An advantage ofidentifying a virtual object associated with a corresponding real objectis that the virtual object can be used to simplify calculationsassociated with wall 540. For example, the virtual object could begeometrically simpler than the corresponding real object. However, insome examples in which wall 540 is a virtual object, there may be nocorresponding real object, and wall 540 may be determined by software(e.g., a software script that specifies the existence of wall 540 at aparticular position and orientation). Characteristics associated withthe wall 540 can be included in maintaining and updating MRE 500, suchas described above. These characteristics can then be used to processvirtual audio signals according to how those virtual audio signals wouldbe affected by wall 540, as described below.

Wall 540, whether real or virtual, may be considered a sound occluder,as described above. As seen in the top view shown in FIG. 5B, twovectors, 532 and 534, can represent the respective paths of virtualaudio signal 530 from virtual sound source 520 to the user's left ear502 and right ear 504 in MRE 500. Vectors 532 and 534 can correspond tounique left and right audio signals to be presented to the left andright ears, respectively. As shown in the example, vector 534(corresponding to right ear 504) intersects wall 540, while vector 532(corresponding to left ear 502) may not. Accordingly, wall 540 mayimpart different characteristics to the right audio signal than to theleft audio signal. For instance, the right audio signal may haveattenuation and low-pass filtering applied, corresponding to wall 540,while the left audio signal does not. In some examples, the left audiosignal may be phase-shifted or time-shifted relative to the right audiosignal, corresponding to a greater distance from left ear 502 to virtualsound source 520 than from right ear 504 to virtual sound source 520(which would result in an audio signal from that sound source arrivingslightly later at left ear 502 than at right ear 504). The user'sauditory system can interpret this phase shift or time shift, as it doesin the real world, to help identify that virtual sound source 520 is toone side (e.g., the right side) of the user in MRE 500.

The relative importance of these stereo differences may depend on thedifferences in the frequency spectrum of the signal in question. Forexample, phase shift may be more useful to locate high-frequency signalsthan to locate low-frequency audio signals (i.e., signals with awavelength on the order of the width of a listener's head). With suchlow-frequency signals, time of arrival differences between the left earand the right ear may be more useful to locate the source of thesesignals.

In some examples, not shown in FIGS. 5A-5B, an object (whether real orvirtual) such as wall 540 need not sit between user 501 and virtualsound source 520. In such examples, such as where wall 540 sits behindthe user, the wall may impart different characteristics to left andright audio signals via reflections of virtual audio signal 530 againstwall 540 and toward left and right ears 502 and 504.

An advantage of MRE 500 over some environments, such as a video gamepresented by a conventional display monitor and room speakers, is thatthe actual locations of the user's ears in MRE 500 can be determined. Asdescribed above with respect to FIG. 4, wearable head device 510 can beconfigured to identify a location of user 501, e.g., through SLAM,visual odometry techniques, and/or the use of sensors and measurementhardware such as an IMU. In some examples, wearable head device 510 maybe configured to directly detect the respective locations of the user'sears (e.g., via sensors associated with ears 502 and 504, speakers 512and 514, or temple arms (such as temple arms 2130 and 2132 shown inFIGS. 2A-2D)). In some examples, wearable head device 510 may beconfigured to detect a position of the user's head, and to approximatethe respective locations of the user's ears based on that position(e.g., by estimating or detecting the width of the user's head, andidentifying the locations of the ears as being located along thecircumference of the head and separated by the width of the head). Byidentifying the locations of the user's ears, audio signals can bepresented to the ears that correspond to those particular locations.Compared to technologies that determine audio signals based on an audioreceiver coordinate that may or may not correspond to the user's actualear (e.g., the origin coordinate of a virtual camera in a virtual 3Denvironment), determining a location of an ear, and presenting an audiosignal based on that location, can enhance a user's feelings ofimmersion in, and connectedness to, the MRE.

By being presented with unique and separately determined left and rightaudio signals via speakers 512 and 514, respectively, which correspondto left and right listener positions (e.g., the locations of the user'sears 502 and 504 in MRE 500), user 501 is able to identify a positionand/or orientation of virtual sound source 520. This is because theuser's auditory system naturally attributes the differences (e.g., ingain, frequency, and phase) between the left and right audio signals tothe position and orientation of virtual sound source 520, along with thepresence of sound occluders, such as wall 540. Accordingly, these stereoaudio cues improve user 501's awareness of virtual sound source 520 andwall 540 in MRE 500. This in turn can enhance user 501's feeling ofengagement with MRE 500. For instance, if virtual sound source 520corresponds to an object of importance in MRE 500—for example, a virtualcharacter speaking to user 501—user 501 can use the stereo audio signalsto quickly identify the location of that object. This in turn can reducethe cognitive burden on user 501 to identify the object's location, andcan also reduce the computational burden on MRE 501—for example, aprocessor and/or memory (e.g., processor 416 and/or memory 418 of FIG.4) may no longer need to present user 501 with high fidelity visual cues(e.g., via high-resolution assets such as 3D models and textures, andlighting effects) to identify the object's location, because the audiocues are shouldering more of the work.

Asymmetric occlusion effects such as described above may be especiallypronounced in situations where real or virtual objects, such as wall540, are physically close to the user's face; or where real or virtualobjects occlude one ear, but not the other (such as when the center of auser's face is aligned with the edge of wall 540, as seen in FIG. 5B).These situations can be exploited for effect. For example, in MRE 500,user 501 can hide behind an edge of wall 540, peeking around the cornerto locate a virtual object (e.g., corresponding to virtual sound source520) based on the stereo audio effects imparted on that object's soundemissions (e.g., virtual audio signal 530) by the wall. This can allow,for example, for tactical gameplay in gaming environments based on MRE500; for architectural design applications in which user 501 checks forproper acoustics in different regions of a virtual room; or foreducational or creative benefit as user 501 explores the interaction ofvarious audio sources (e.g., virtual birds singing) with his or herenvironment.

In some examples, each of the left and right audio signals may not bedetermined independently, but may be based on the other, or on a commonaudio source. For example, where a single audio source generates both aleft audio signal and a right audio signal, the left and right audiosignals may be viewed as not entirely independent, but related to eachother sonically via the single audio source.

FIG. 6 shows an example process 600 for presenting left and right audiosignals to a user of a MRE, such as user 501 of MRE 500. Example process600 may be implemented by a processor (e.g., corresponding to processor416 of FIG. 4) and/or a DSP module (e.g., corresponding to DSP audiospatializer 422 of FIG. 4) of wearable head device 510.

At stage 605 of process 600, respective locations (e.g., listenercoordinates and/or vectors) of a first ear (e.g., the user's left ear502) and a second ear (e.g., the user's right ear 504) are determined.These locations can be determined using sensors of wearable head device510, as described above. Such coordinates can be with respect to a usercoordinate system local to the wearable head device (e.g., usercoordinate system 114 described above with respect to FIG. 1A). In sucha user coordinate system, the origin of such coordinate system mayapproximately correspond to a center of the user's head—simplifying therepresentation of the location of a left virtual listener and a rightvirtual listener. Using SLAM, visual odometry, and/or the IMU thedisplacement and rotation (e.g., in six degrees of freedom) of the usercoordinate system 114 relative to the environment coordinate system 108can be updated in real time.

At stage 610, a first virtual sound source, which may correspond tovirtual sound source 520, can be defined. In some examples, the virtualsound source may correspond to a virtual or real object, which may beidentified and located via depth cameras or sensors of wearable headdevice 510. In some examples, a virtual object may correspond to a realobject, such as described above. For example, a virtual object may haveone or more characteristics (e.g., position, orientation, materials,visual properties, acoustic properties) of a corresponding real object.A location of the virtual sound source can be established in thecoordinate system 108 (FIGS. 1A-1C)

At stage 620A, a first virtual audio signal, which may correspond tovirtual audio signal 530 propagating along vector 532, and intersectingthe first virtual listener (e.g., a first approximate ear position), canbe identified. For example, upon a determination that a sound signal isgenerated at a first time t by the first virtual sound source, a vectorfrom the first sound source to the first virtual listener can becomputed. The first virtual audio signal can be associated with baseaudio data (e.g., a waveform file), and optionally one or moreparameters to modify the base audio data, as described above. Similarly,at stage 620B, a second virtual audio signal, which may correspond tovirtual audio signal 530 propagating along vector 534, and intersectingthe second virtual listener (e.g., a second approximate ear position),can be identified.

At stage 630A, real or virtual objects intersected by the first virtualaudio signal (one of which may, for example, correspond to wall 540) areidentified. For example, a trace can be calculated along the vector fromthe first sound source to the first virtual listener in MRE 500, andreal or virtual objects intersecting the trace can be identified (alongwith, in some examples, parameters of the intersection, such as aposition and vector at which a real or virtual object is intersected).In some cases, there may be no such real or virtual objects. Similarly,at stage 630B, real or virtual objects intersected by the second virtualaudio signal are identified. Again, in some cases, there may be no suchreal or virtual objects.

In some examples, real objects identified at stage 630A or stage 630Bcan be identified using depth cameras or other sensors associated withwearable head device 510. In some examples, virtual objects identifiedat stage 630A or stage 630B may correspond to real objects, such asdescribed with respect to FIG. 1C and real objects 122A, 124A, and 126A,and corresponding virtual objects 122B, 124B, and 126B. In suchexamples, such real objects can be identified using depth cameras orother sensors associated with wearable head device 510, and virtualobjects can be generated to correspond with those real objects, such asdescribed above.

At stage 640A, each real or virtual object identified at stage 630A isprocessed to identify, at stage 650A, any signal modification parametersassociated with that real or virtual object. For instance, as describedabove, such signal modification parameters could include functions fordetermining attenuation, filtering, phase shift, time-based effects(e.g., delay, reverb, modulation), and/or other effects to be applied tothe first virtual audio signal. As described above, these parameters canbe dependent on other parameters associated with the real or virtualobject, such as a size, shape, or material of that real or virtualobject. At stage 660A, those signal modification parameters are appliedto the first virtual audio signal. For instance, if a signalmodification parameter specifies that the first virtual audio signalshould be attenuated by a factor that increases linearly with thedistance between a listener coordinate and an audio source, that factorcan be computed at stage 660A (i.e., by calculating the distance, in MRE500, between the first ear and the first virtual sound source); andapplied to the first virtual audio signal (i.e., by multiplying theamplitude of the signal by the resultant gain factor). In some examples,signal modification parameters can be determined or applied using DSPaudio spatializer 422 of FIG. 4, which can utilize a HRTF to modify anaudio signal based on the position and orientation of the user's head,such as described above. Once all real or virtual objects identified atstage 630A have been applied at stage 660A, the processed first virtualaudio signal (e.g., representing the signal modification parameters ofall of the identified real or virtual objects) is output by stage 640A.Similarly, at stage 640B, each real or virtual object identified atstage 630B is processed to identify signal modification parameters(stage 650B), and to apply those signal modification parameters to thesecond virtual audio signal (stage 660B). Once all real or virtualobjects identified at stage 630B have been applied at stage 660B, theprocessed first virtual audio signal (e.g., representing the signalmodification parameters of all of the identified real or virtualobjects) is output by stage 640B.

At stage 670A, the processed first virtual audio signal output fromstage 640A can be used to determine a first audio signal (e.g., a leftchannel audio signal) that can be presented to the first ear. Forexample, at stage 670A, the first virtual audio signal can be mixed withother left-channel audio signals (e.g., other virtual audio signals,music, or dialogue). In some examples, such as in simple mixed realityenvironments with no other sounds, stage 670A may perform little or noprocessing to determine the first audio signal from the processed firstvirtual audio signal. Stage 670A can incorporate any suitable stereomixing technique. Similarly, at stage 680A, the processed second virtualaudio signal output from stage 640B can be used to determine a secondaudio signal (e.g., a right channel audio signal) that can be presentedto the second ear.

At stage 680A and stage 680B, the audio signals output by stage 670A and670B, respectively, are presented to the first ear and the second ear,respectively. For example, left and right stereo signals can beconverted to left and right analog signals (e.g., by DSP audiospatializer 422 of FIG. 4) that are amplified and presented to left andright speakers 512 and 514, respectively. Where left and right speakers512 and 514 are configured to acoustically couple to left and right ears502 and 504, respectively, left and right ears 502 and 504 may bepresented with their respective left and right stereo signals insufficient isolation from the other stereo signal, pronouncing thestereo effect.

FIG. 7 shows a functional block diagram of an example augmented realityprocessing system 700 that could be used to implement one or moreexamples described above. The example system 700 can be implemented in amixed reality system such as mixed reality system 112 described above.FIG. 7 shows aspects of an audio architecture of the system 700. In theexample shown, a game engine 702 generates virtual 3D content 704 andsimulates events involving the virtual 3D content 704 (which events caninclude interactions of the virtual 3D content 704 with real objects).The virtual 3D content 704 can include, for example, static virtualobjects; virtual objects with functionality, e.g., virtual musicalinstruments; virtual animals; and virtual people. In the example shown,the virtual 3D content 704 includes localized virtual sound sources 706.The localized virtual sound sources 706 can include sound sourcescorresponding to, for example, the song of a virtual bird; soundsemitted by a virtual instrument that is played by a user, or by avirtual person; or a voice of a virtual person.

The example augmented reality processing system 700 can integratevirtual 3D content 704 into the real world with a high degree ofrealism. For example, audio associated with a localized virtual soundsource may be located at a distance from a user, and at a locationwhere, if the audio were a real audio signal, it would be partiallyobstructed by a real object. However, in example system 700, the audiocan be output by left and right speakers 412, 414, 2134, 2136 (which maybelong, for example, to wearable head device 400A of the mixed realitysystem 112). That audio, which travels only a short distance from thespeakers 2134, 2136 into the user's ears, is not physically affected bythe obstruction. However, the system 700, as described below, can alterthe audio to take into account the effect of the obstruction.

In example system 700, a user coordinate determining subsystem 708 canbe suitably physically housed in the wearable head device 200, 400A. Theuser coordinate determining subsystem 708 can maintain information aboutthe position (e.g., X, Y, and Z coordinates) and orientation (e.g.,roll, pitch, yaw; quaternion) of the wearable head device relative tothe real world environment. Virtual content is defined in theenvironment coordinate system 108 (FIGS. 1A-1C) which is generally fixedrelative to the real world. However, in the example, the same virtualcontent is output via the eyepieces 408, 410 and speakers 412, 414,2134, 2136, which typically are fixed to the wearable head device 200,400A and move relative to the real world as the user's head moves. Asthe wearable head device 200, 400A is displaced or rotated, thespatialization of virtual audio may be adjusted, and the visual displayof virtual content should be rerendered, to take into account thedisplacement and/or rotation. The user coordinate determining subsystem708 can include an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) 710, which caninclude a set of three orthogonal accelerometers (not shown in FIG. 7)that provide measurements of acceleration (from which displacement canbe determined by integration); and three orthogonal gyroscopes (notshown in FIG. 7) that provide measurements of rotation (from whichorientation can be determined by integration). To adjust for drifterrors in displacements and orientations obtained from the IMU 710, aSimultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) and/or visual odometryblock 406 can be included in the user coordinate determining system 708.As shown in FIG. 4, the depth cameras 444 can be coupled to, and provideimagery input for, the SLAM and/or visual odometry block 406.

A spatially discriminating, real occluding object sensor subsystem 712(“occlusion subsystem”) is included in the example augmented realityprocessing system 700. The occlusion subsystem 712 can include, forexample, depth cameras 444; non-depth cameras (not shown in FIG. 7);Sound Navigation and Ranging (SONAR) sensors (not shown in FIG. 7);and/or Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensors (not shown in FIG.7). The occlusion subsystem 712 can have spatial resolution sufficientto discriminate between obstructions that affect virtual propagationpaths corresponding to the left and right listener positions. Forexample, if a user of wearable head device 200, 400A is peeking around areal corner at a virtual sound emitting virtual object (e.g., a virtualgame opponent where a wall forming the corner is blocking a direct lineof sight to the user's left ear, but not the user's right ear), theocclusion subsystem 712 can sense the obstruction with sufficientresolution to determine that only the direct path to the left ear wouldbe occluded. In some examples, the occlusion subsystem 712 may havegreater spatial resolution and may be able to determine a size (or solidangle subtense) of, and distance to, occluding real objects.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the occlusion subsystem 712 is coupledto a per-channel (i.e., left and right audio channel) intersection andobstruction extent calculator (herein, “obstruction calculator”) 714. Inthe example, the user coordinate determining system 708 and the gameengine 702 are also coupled to the obstruction calculator 714. Theobstruction calculator 714 can receive coordinates of virtual audiosources from the game engine 702, user coordinates from the usercoordinate determining system 708, and information indicative of thecoordinates (e.g., angular coordinates optionally including distance) ofobstructions from the occlusion subsystem 712. By applying geometry, theobstruction calculator 714 can determine whether there is an obstructedor unobstructed line of sight from each virtual audio source to each ofthe left and right listener positions. Although shown in FIG. 7 as aseparate block, the obstruction calculator 714 can be integrated withthe game engine 702. In some examples, occlusions may be initiallysensed by the occlusion subsystem 712 in a user-centric coordinatesystem, based on information from the user coordinate determining system708, with the coordinates of the occlusion transformed to theenvironment coordinate system 108 for the purpose of analyzing theobstruction geometry. In some examples, the coordinates of virtual soundsources may be transformed to a user-centric coordinate system for thepurpose of calculating obstruction geometry. In some examples in whichthe occlusion subsystem 712 provides spatially resolved informationabout occluding objects, the obstruction calculator 714 can determine arange of solid angles about the line of sight that is occluded byobstructing objects. An obstruction that has a larger solid angle extentcan be taken into account by applying a larger attenuation and/orattenuation of a greater range of high frequency components.

In some examples, the localized virtual sound sources 706 can include amono audio signal or left and right spatialized audio signals. Such leftand right spatialized audio signals can be determined by applying leftand right Head Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) that may be selectedbased on the coordinates of the localized virtual sound sources relativeto the user. In example 700, the game engine 702 is coupled to andreceives coordinates (e.g., position and orientation) of the user fromthe user coordinate determining system 708. The game engine 702 itselfcan determine the coordinates of the virtual sound sources (for example,in response to user input) and, upon receiving the user coordinates, candetermine the coordinates of the sound sources relative to the user bygeometry.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the obstruction calculator 714 iscoupled to a filter activation and control 716. In some examples, thefilter activation and control 716 is coupled to a left control input718A of a left filter bypass switch 718 and is coupled to a rightcontrol input 720A of a right filter bypass switch 720. In someexamples, as in the case of other components of the example system 700,the bypass switches 718, 720 can be implemented in software. In theexample shown, the left filter bypass switch 718 receives a left channelof spatialized audio from the game engine 702, and the right filterbypass switch 720 receives right spatialized audio from the game engine704. In some examples in which the game engine 702 outputs a mono audiosignal, both bypass switches 718, 720 can receive the same mono audiosignal.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, a first output 718B of the left bypassswitch 718 is coupled through a left obstruction filter 722 to a leftdigital-to-analog converter (“left D/A”) 724, and second output 718C ofthe left bypass switch 718 is coupled to the left D/A 724 (bypassing theleft obstruction filter 722). Similarly, in the example, a first output720B of the right bypass switch 720 is coupled through a rightobstruction filter 726 to the right digital-to-analog converter (“rightD/A”) 728, and a second output 720C is coupled to the right D/A 728(bypassing the right obstruction filter 726).

In the example shown in FIG. 7, a set of filter configurations 730 canbe used (e.g., by filter activation and control 716) to configure theleft obstruction filter 722 and/or the right obstruction filter based onthe output of the per channel intersection and obstruction extentcalculator 722. In some examples, instead of providing bypass switches718, 720, a non-filtering pass-through configuration of the obstructionfilters 722, 726 can be used. The obstruction filters 722, 726 can betime domain or frequency domain filters. In examples in which thefilters are time domain filters, each filter configuration can include aset of tap coefficients; in examples in which the filters are frequencydomain filters, each filter configuration can include a set of frequencyband weights. In some examples, instead of a set number of predeterminedfilter configurations, the filter activation and control 716 can beconfigured (e.g., programmatically) to define a filter that has acertain level of attenuation depending on a size of an obstruction. Thefilter activation and control 716 can select or define filterconfigurations (e.g., configurations that are more attenuating forlarger obstructions), and/or can select or define filters that attenuatehigher frequency bands (e.g., to a greater degree for largerobstructions in order to simulate the effect of real obstructions).

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the filter activation and control 716 iscoupled to a control input 722A of the left obstruction filter 722 andto a control input 726A of the right obstruction filter 726. The filteractivation and control 716 can separately configure the left obstructionfilter 722 and the right obstruction filter 726 using selectedconfigurations from the filter configurations 730, based on output fromthe per channel intersection and obstruction extent calculator 714.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the left D/A 724 is coupled to an input732A of a left audio amplifier 732, and the right D/A 728 is coupled toan input 734A of a right audio amplifier 734. In the example, an output732B of the left audio amplifier 732 is coupled to a left speaker 2134,412 and an output 734B of the right audio amplifier 734 is coupled to aright speaker 2136, 414.

It should be noted that the elements of the example functional blockdiagram shown in FIG. 7 can be arranged in any suitable order—notnecessarily the order shown. Further, some elements shown in the examplein FIG. 7 (e.g., bypass switches 718, 720) can be omitted asappropriate. The disclosure is not limited to any particular order orarrangement of the functional components shown in the example.

Some examples of the disclosure are directed to a method of presentingaudio signals in a mixed reality environment, the method comprising:identifying a first ear listener position in the mixed realityenvironment; identifying a second ear listener position in the mixedreality environment; identifying a first virtual sound source in themixed reality environment; identifying a first object in the mixedreality environment; determining a first audio signal in the mixedreality environment, wherein the first audio signal originates at thefirst virtual sound source and intersects the first ear listenerposition; determining a second audio signal in the mixed realityenvironment, wherein the second audio signal originates at the firstvirtual sound source, intersects the first object, and intersects thesecond ear listener position; determining a third audio signal based onthe second audio signal and the first object; presenting, via a firstspeaker to a first ear of a user, the first audio signal; andpresenting, via a second speaker to a second ear of the user, the thirdaudio signal. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of theexamples disclosed above, in some examples, determining the third audiosignal from the second audio signal comprises applying a low-pass filterto the second audio signal, the low-pass filter having a parameter basedon the first virtual object. Additionally or alternatively to one ormore of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, determining thethird audio signal from the second audio signal comprises applying anattenuation to the second audio signal, the strength of the attenuationbased on the first object. Additionally or alternatively to one or moreof the examples disclosed above, in some examples, identifying the firstobject comprises identifying a real object. Additionally oralternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in someexamples, identifying the real object comprises using a sensor todetermine a position of the real object relative to the user in themixed reality environment. Additionally or alternatively to one or moreof the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the sensor comprisesa depth camera. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of theexamples disclosed above, in some examples, the method further comprisesgenerating helper data corresponding to the real object. Additionally oralternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in someexamples, the method further comprises generating a virtual objectcorresponding to the real object. Additionally or alternatively to oneor more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the methodfurther comprises identifying a second virtual object, wherein the firstaudio signal intersects the second virtual object and a fourth audiosignal is determined based on the second virtual object.

Some examples of the disclosure are directed to a system comprising: awearable head device comprising: a display for displaying a mixedreality environment to a user, the display comprising a transmissiveeyepiece through which a real environment is visible; a first speakerconfigured to present audio signals to a first ear of the user; and asecond speaker configured to present audio signals to a second ear ofthe user; and one or more processors configured to perform: identifyinga first ear listener position in the mixed reality environment;identifying a second ear listener position in the mixed realityenvironment; identifying a first virtual sound source in the mixedreality environment; identifying a first object in the mixed realityenvironment; determining a first audio signal in the mixed realityenvironment, wherein the first audio signal originates at the firstvirtual sound source and intersects the first ear listener position;determining a second audio signal in the mixed reality environment,wherein the second audio signal originates at the first virtual soundsource, intersects the first object, and intersects the second earlistener position; determining a third audio signal based on the secondaudio signal and the first object; presenting, via a first speaker tothe first ear, the first audio signal; and presenting, via a secondspeaker to the second ear, the third audio signal. Additionally oralternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in someexamples, determining the third audio signal from the second audiosignal comprises applying a low-pass filter to the second audio signal,the low-pass filter having a parameter based on the first object.Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosedabove, in some examples, determining the third audio signal from thesecond audio signal comprises applying an attenuation to the secondaudio signal, the strength of the attenuation based on the first object.Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosedabove, in some examples, identifying the first object comprisesidentifying a real object. Additionally or alternatively to one or moreof the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the wearable headdevice further comprises a sensor, and identifying the real objectcomprises using the sensor to determine a position of the real objectrelative to the user in the mixed reality environment. Additionally oralternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in someexamples, the sensor comprises a depth camera. Additionally oralternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in someexamples, the one or more processors are further configured to performgenerating helper data corresponding to the real object. Additionally oralternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in someexamples, the one or more processors are further configured to performgenerating a virtual object corresponding to the real object.Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosedabove, in some examples, the one or more processors are furtherconfigured to perform identifying a second virtual object, wherein thefirst audio signal intersects the second virtual object and a fourthaudio signal is determined based on the second virtual object.

Although the disclosed examples have been fully described with referenceto the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes andmodifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Forexample, elements of one or more implementations may be combined,deleted, modified, or supplemented to form further implementations. Suchchanges and modifications are to be understood as being included withinthe scope of the disclosed examples as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of presenting audio signals in a mixedreality environment, the method comprising: identifying a first earlistener position in the mixed reality environment; identifying a secondear listener position in the mixed reality environment; identifying afirst virtual sound source in the mixed reality environment; identifyinga first object in the mixed reality environment; determining a firstaudio signal in the mixed reality environment, wherein the first audiosignal originates at the first virtual sound source and intersects thefirst ear listener position; determining a second audio signal in themixed reality environment, wherein the second audio signal originates atthe first virtual sound source, intersects the first object, andintersects the second ear listener position; determining a third audiosignal based on the second audio signal and the first object;presenting, via a first speaker to a first ear of a user, the firstaudio signal; and presenting, via a second speaker to a second ear ofthe user, the third audio signal.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining the third audio signal from the second audio signalcomprises applying a low-pass filter to the second audio signal, thelow-pass filter having a parameter based on the first object.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein determining the third audio signal from thesecond audio signal comprises applying an attenuation to the secondaudio signal, a strength of the attenuation based on the first object.4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first object comprisesidentifying a real object.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifyingthe real object comprises using a sensor to determine a position of thereal object relative to the user in the mixed reality environment. 6.The method of claim 5, wherein the sensor comprises a depth camera. 7.The method of claim 4, further comprising generating helper datacorresponding to the real object.
 8. The method of claim 4, furthercomprising generating a virtual object corresponding to the real object.9. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a secondvirtual object, wherein the first audio signal intersects the secondvirtual object and a fourth audio signal is determined based on thesecond virtual object.
 10. A system comprising: a wearable head devicecomprising: a display for displaying a mixed reality environment to auser, the display comprising a transmissive eyepiece through which areal environment is visible; a first speaker configured to present audiosignals to a first ear of the user; and a second speaker configured topresent audio signals to a second ear of the user; and one or moreprocessors configured to perform: identifying a first ear listenerposition in the mixed reality environment; identifying a second earlistener position in the mixed reality environment; identifying a firstvirtual sound source in the mixed reality environment; identifying afirst object in the mixed reality environment; determining a first audiosignal in the mixed reality environment, wherein the first audio signaloriginates at the first virtual sound source and intersects the firstear listener position; determining a second audio signal in the mixedreality environment, wherein the second audio signal originates at thefirst virtual sound source, intersects the first object, and intersectsthe second ear listener position; determining a third audio signal basedon the second audio signal and the first object; presenting, via a firstspeaker to the first ear, the first audio signal; and presenting, via asecond speaker to the second ear, the third audio signal.
 11. The systemof claim 10, wherein determining the third audio signal from the secondaudio signal comprises applying a low-pass filter to the second audiosignal, the low-pass filter having a parameter based on the firstobject.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein determining the third audiosignal from the second audio signal comprises applying an attenuation tothe second audio signal, a strength of the attenuation based on thefirst object.
 13. The system of claim 10, wherein identifying the firstobject comprises identifying a real object.
 14. The system of claim 13,wherein the wearable head device further comprises a sensor, and whereinidentifying the real object comprises using the sensor to determine aposition of the real object relative to the user in the mixed realityenvironment.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises adepth camera.
 16. The system of claim 13, the one or more processorsfurther configured to perform generating helper data corresponding tothe real object.
 17. The system of claim 13, the one or more processorsfurther configured to perform generating a virtual object correspondingto the real object.
 18. The system of claim 10, the one or moreprocessors further configured to perform identifying a second virtualobject, wherein the first audio signal intersects the second virtualobject and a fourth audio signal is determined based on the secondvirtual object.
 19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:determining a fourth audio signal in the mixed reality environment,wherein the fourth audio originates at the first virtual sound sourceand intersects the second ear listener position without intersecting thefirst object; and presenting, via the second speaker to the second earof the user, the fourth audio signal.
 20. The system of claim 10, theone or more processors further configured to perform: determining afourth audio signal in the mixed reality environment, wherein the fourthaudio originates at the first virtual sound source and intersects thesecond ear listener position without intersecting the first object; andpresenting, via the second speaker to the second ear of the user, thefourth audio signal.